The Future of Jackson, MS (Holly Springs, Forest: chapel, neighborhoods, movie theater)

[glass_of_merlot]

Now, the question is. Why is it bad and who is doing the crimes? It was not this bad back in the days, was it? What changed in the last 40 years?

[Huckleberry3911948]

acceptance by poor urban dwellers of crime is probably the biggest contributor to urban stagnation.
when this changes flight will end.
btw its not white flight that does the most damage it is when educated successful AA leave poor urban areas that the big damage is done. the role model becomes snoop dog instead of mr king.
i have a dream.

[Rosalie3597]

Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot

Now, the question is. Why is it bad and who is doing the crimes? It was not this bad back in the days, was it? What changed in the last 40 years?

You have a ignorant, hateful governor. He has to be related to former gov. Ross Barnett

[teachertype]

Originally Posted by jacksonian

You should go pick up a copy of the Fortune Small Business magazine, March 2009 issue. On page 88, you will find a 2 page article about Farish Street and how it is becoming a "culturally rich entertainment district" once again. I eat lunch on Farish Street at least twice a month. Peaches serves some of the best fried chicken and turnip greens around. Here is a picture on www.city-data.com's website of Farish Street (notice there are people sitting outside of Peache's eating lunch):


You can bash Jackson all you want, but I live and work here, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. What you think about an issue makes it true... for you. Our perceptions are our reality, but not the only reality.

I accept that photograph as valid... but this must be one very small block of Farish St. What I saw of Farish St last July, and I drove at least a mile of it, was a desolate ghetto. It's also a wide and busy street with fast moving traffic but this foto shows a pedestrian friendly looking block. You must have found a foto of the one and only attractive block in Jackson.

[bornjacksonian]

Originally Posted by teachertype

I accept that photograph as valid... but this must be one very small block of Farish St. What I saw of Farish St last July, and I drove at least a mile of it, was a desolate ghetto. It's also a wide and busy street with fast moving traffic but this foto shows a pedestrian friendly looking block. You must have found a foto of the one and only attractive block in Jackson.

I can assure you this is not the only "attractive" block in jackson and not downtown as well.

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by teachertype

I accept that photograph as valid... but this must be one very small block of Farish St. What I saw of Farish St last July, and I drove at least a mile of it, was a desolate ghetto. It's also a wide and busy street with fast moving traffic but this foto shows a pedestrian friendly looking block. You must have found a foto of the one and only attractive block in Jackson.

Considering the entire length of Farish Street is only 1.4 miles, I think you are confusing Farish St with another road. Farish St is not wide at any point except where it runs through downtown, and it has several red lights and stop signs along it. Not only that, but most of it is one way only. Also, the Telcom Center (which was built several years ago) splits Farish St into two separate roads, so technically, it is 0.9 miles long on the north side and 0.5 miles long on the south side, which further leads me to believe that you are thinking of somewhere else.

I could fill this thread with hundreds of attractive blocks of Jackson, but I don't think that is called for.

[ahnraleigh]

Originally Posted by jacksonian

Considering the entire length of Farish Street is only 1.4 miles, I think you are confusing Farish St with another road.

Jacksonian, please help me gain a better perspective. After reading this thread naturally I look at the street on Google maps. You can see it here.

This is not meant to be a disrespect of any kind, but the area does look rundown to me. Is your view on this area positive due to your experience of progressive improvements? Or has there been a vast amount of improvement since Google has taken street photo's of this area? I'm sincerely curious as a possible future resident.

[7 Wishes]

I only discovered this thread now, but going back to the first question, comparing it to Raleigh, Atlanta, etc. one issue here is that I don't think many people not from the deep South see Mississippi (even a relatively large city like Jackson) as a place they'd be comfortable relocating to. Many in the North think of Mississippi as the most extreme of the Deep South states in terms of prejudice, or (if you're white) anti-Yankee hatred, etc. and if Jackson wants to become like Atlanta or Raleigh, etc. (and I'm not sure if you/they do), then removing that perception would be important. It's possible, just 25-30 years ago northerners thought of North Carolina in a similar way because of Jesse Helms, etc. and that has changed rapidly.

I know up here, when people say they're moving to Atlanta for a job, or say to North Carolina, they're told what great, changing growing places they are. But I know a couple of others who went for one of those programs where they have you teach in a school in Mississippi and people thought they were nuts (and not because of teaching).

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by ahnraleigh

Jacksonian, please help me gain a better perspective. After reading this thread naturally I look at the street on Google maps. You can see it here.

This is not meant to be a disrespect of any kind, but the area does look rundown to me. Is your view on this area positive due to your experience of progressive improvements? Or has there been a vast amount of improvement since Google has taken street photo's of this area? I'm sincerely curious as a possible future resident.

Thanks for asking that question. I don't mind explaining it at all.

Farish Street has a rich history. It was the business and entertainment epicenter for Jackson's African American community. Blues legends such as Charlie Patton, Louis Armstrong, Count Baise and Duke Ellington headlined the clubs. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and has earned two destinations on the Mississippi Blues Trail (Trumpet Records and Alamo Theater, where B.B. King and Nat King Cole held court). It is it's history that has kept it from being demolished over the years.

Many developers have tried to develop the area, but unfortunately our local officials have prevented that from happening. For years, no one has made up their mind about what to actually do with the area, hence the strong contrast between the new trees, light fixtures, and brick pavers (installed by the city) to the tired, old buildings that flank it. Many of the buildings are abandoned and some are just facades supported by structural members, but a few of them are being renovated currently.

The developer that has taken the reins of the Farish Street project is currently renovating the King Edward Hotel, a 12 story building built in 1923. It is yet another project that was wrapped up in red tape by the local officials, and somehow David Watkins, the developer, found a way to get around it (for both projects). The hotel sat vacant for 40 years until 2 years ago when workers began cleaning it up to prepare it for renovation. Once the King Edward renovation is complete (should be late 2009), Watkins plans to turn his full attention to Farish Street.

That is why the area looks like it is falling apart, because it has been for years. There are a few businesses still there that have stood the test of time, and they will reap the benefits once the development is completed. Currently, it is used a lot by photographers and artists because of its dramatic backdrop, although, I will be glad to see the area revitalized.

So many areas of the city have been developed over the past few decades that clearly divides the haves from the have nots, but this project will be for everyone. It will attract all races and will celebrate the history of the city. Hopefully, it will become a form of inspiration for the local community as well. The neighborhoods nearby are just as old as the storefronts on Farish St, and there is still a battle going on to decide what to do with them... many are abandoned and have lost their structural integrity. There is a constant struggle between Archives & History and developers in all areas that are part of the historic context of the city, regardless of condition, quantity of properties, etc. That is an obstacle that needs to be addressed soon if we plan on making significant changes within the city.

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

I only discovered this thread now, but going back to the first question, comparing it to Raleigh, Atlanta, etc. one issue here is that I don't think many people not from the deep South see Mississippi (even a relatively large city like Jackson) as a place they'd be comfortable relocating to. Many in the North think of Mississippi as the most extreme of the Deep South states in terms of prejudice, or (if you're white) anti-Yankee hatred, etc. and if Jackson wants to become like Atlanta or Raleigh, etc. (and I'm not sure if you/they do), then removing that perception would be important. It's possible, just 25-30 years ago northerners thought of North Carolina in a similar way because of Jesse Helms, etc. and that has changed rapidly.

I know up here, when people say they're moving to Atlanta for a job, or say to North Carolina, they're told what great, changing growing places they are. But I know a couple of others who went for one of those programs where they have you teach in a school in Mississippi and people thought they were nuts (and not because of teaching).

I believe it is a combination of two things. One is that Mississippi has done a poor job of marketing itself. Mississippi is home to some great people and vast achievements, but not many people outside the state know about them.

The second reason is that media has painted Mississippi as still being like it was 50 years ago, and it's because Mississippi has a lot of historic architecture and the scenery hasn't changed drastically over the years in some towns, like Canton. Over the past 15 years, there have been several mainstream movies that depict Mississippi as it was in the past and spotlights significant moments that occurred back then. Take A Time To Kill for example. It's a great movie, but it focuses on the past, so when people see a new movie that depicts the past, they assume nothing has changed. Let's face it, no director is coming to Mississippi to film Sex in the City. Yes, we have cities, but they do not compare to the magnitude of New York City.

Now, all that being said, I have lived in Mississippi my entire life. My wife, however, is from Ohio. Her family moved here b/c her father was hired on at the Nissan Plant here in Canton. We make fun of each other all the time, because we do have so many differences. But it makes our lives that much more exciting and fun. My mother-in-law was very cautious of me when I first started dating her daughter. She didn't want her daughter to date a "redneck"... haha. She questioned my intentions for a while, but over time she realized that I was educated, caring, and a good guy for her daughter. I could sense the wariness, but if I were in her shoes, I would have been the same way.